Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

Christophe, a Rwandan refugee in England, is entrusted with looking after Armel, a new boy in class, but Christophe soon discovers that Armel’s hostility stems from a tragedy that occurred in the country they once called home. Author: Nicki Cornwell

Beware of the poison of the past, try not to get infected (Cornwall 53),” is a prevailing theme of Armel`s Revenge by Nicki Cornwall. Christophe experienced the ethnic cleansing in Rwanda when he was too young to understand it. He and his family sought asylum in Great Britain and tried to forget the past. The painful memories lie in the shadows of his mind until a new student arrives who has his own demons to fight and sees Christophe as the enemy. How will he deal with it and what will he learn about his past?

This book doesn’t have a single word in it. Not one. The story is told entirely in picture, and you have to look at the pictures carefully to figure out what is going on. The little girl on the cover is headed to the barn. Why do you think she is looking over her shoulder like that? She looks a little scare to me. Her feet are all business, heading purposely in one direction but her eyes and her head, they are definitely on alert. Open this one to answer this question for yourself – would you be brave enough to do what she does?

Krisitin Levine’s sensitive and engaging novel The Lions of Little Rock takes place during the struggle to integrate public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958. The narrator is 12 year old Marlee , who seldom speaks to anyone except family members. Math whiz Marlee prefers numbers to words, “ In math, you always get the same answer, no matter how you do the problem. But with words, blue can be a thousand different shades!” That changes when she becomes friends with Liz, a new girl at school. Their friendship is disrupted when Liz suddenly disappears from school after it is discovered that she is black and not welcome at the still segregated school. The story that follows is not only about Marlee finding her voice in many ways, but also about the courage it took for individuals in the Little Rock community to find their voices, come together, and stand up for what is right. The author successfully combines themes of friendship, family, and profound issues in our society with a light enough touch that makes the book a pleasure to read, and encourages the reader to reflect on all the issues the story presents.

A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry “Box” Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

Henry Brown copes with slavery by singing, but after his wife and children are sold away he is left with only his freedom song, which gives him strength when friends put him in a box and mail him to a free state.